FLORENCE, Italy— Based in the Renaissance city of Florence, Polimoda has become one of Italy's most prestigious fashion schools since it was founded in 1986. Set across two campuses in the heart of Tuscany, the internationally diverse cohort are inspired by the city's rich fashion legacy, taking advantage of the region's famous leather and garment industries. The diverse blend of courses offered include art direction, merchandising and buying, textile development and garment design, developing students into independent and creative thinkers.

Polimoda’s dean, Danilo Venturi, is a former student of the school, whose expertise in fashion business saw him return to Polimoda as a lecturer and consultant, before becoming dean in 2016. Shot in the Villa Favard — an historical palazzo dating back to 1858 where students attend their classes — Venturi sat down with BoF to record a series of lectures. This is a three-part introduction to Polimoda’s brand management course, of which he is the mentor.

In his first lecture, “Fashion is a Beautiful Chaos”, Venturi unpacks the three major tipping points that have defined the world in the last decade — globalisation, the internet and the downfall of ideologies — in order to explain the role and purpose of a fashion brand manager today. Venturi discusses the blurred distinction between culture and identity, as well as society's shifting perception of time and space as a response to these tipping points. These changes cause chaos, and chaos, Venturi explains, is the new order.

As part of a media partnership launched in October 2017, BoF is excited to share part one of an introduction to Polimoda’s brand management course. Stay tuned for the next lecture, where Venturi explains how brands can adapt to the chaotic nature of the industry by adopting a 3D business model.